Thirty widows were expected to crowd their way into this
tiny church for a brief word of encouragement. Instead what we found were
something like 50 ladies with more on the way. The journey is long with the
houses spread so far apart. These ladies of all ages are widows for two primary
reasons. First, Joseph Kony grew up in this area and began his murderous
operations with their very families. Second, having husbands who have multiple
wives and ultimately die of HIV means many of these ladies also have HIV.
Nevertheless, so many of them work hard to provide some income by using what
they know in handcrafts and agriculture.
It quickly became obvious that these ladies are in serious
need of the Entrepreneurship teaching to help expand what they're doing now.
But when asked whether they'd attended the series the last time I was there, all
answered no. When asked whether they were attending the financial management
series now in progress, again their answer was no. Even in the village, the
difference in knowledge and understanding between men and women is vast. Truly
they will benefit most from a program tailored specifically for their needs.
They were very excited about having Surprised by Hope return
to provide some teaching and guidance. And I'm thankful for your support that
allows us to fulfill the call God has placed on us.